15 Strangest Mugshots Of All Time

Thanks to social media, images and information can quickly spread across the world - and this includes mugshots. Once upon a time, if a convicted felon posed for a shot, that information would really only be seen by the people in that correctional facility (unless it was some type of big manhunt or Most Wanted situation). Nowadays, a few people share an image, a few more do, and it goes viral. Who could ever forget the gorgeous inmate who made waves around the world because he looked like he stepped right off the runway and into his orange jumpsuit?

Well, as much as there are some felons who seem so gorgeous it's dangerous, there are many others who aren't exactly looking their best when they take their mugshot. It only makes sense - many people end up getting arrested due to thinks like substance abuse issues, which definitely takes its toll on your looks. Others may have spent years in and out of jail, or leading a life of crime, getting a ton of tattoos in the process and perhaps neglecting a few things like personal hygiene because they were living such a dangerous lifestyle.

Here are 15 of the creepiest mugshots of all time - we certainly wouldn't want to meet any of these individuals in a dark alley.

15 Scratched and Confused

Okay, this individual obviously has some kind of substance coursing through his body, or some issue, because he's looking… well, a little dazed and confused. While some felons seem to challenge the camera during their mugshot in an aggressive way, he's just staring off into the distance with glazed eyes. And, of course, there's the fact that he seems to be all scratched up across his face from something. We don't know what the full story is - perhaps the cops arrested him in the woods and he got mangled by some shrubbery, or perhaps the scratches are self-inflicted because of certain chemicals coursing through his veins. Whatever the cause, this is certainly not someone you would want to meet in a room alone. He doesn't exactly look like the type who would be down for a laugh.

14 Paper or plastic

We're not entirely sure where to start with this one. Underneath all that, he probably looks like a regular guy - and if he was cleaned up a little and put in a nice suit, you probably wouldn't be able to distinguish him from the next guy on the street. However, in his mug shot, he's looking a little… interesting. He's made some kind of a device out of what looks like fabric and tulle that's encasing his face and head. A veil? A hat? Both items combined into one puzzling garment? We're not sure exactly what to call it, but we do know that if you encounter someone walking down the street wearing this on their head, you probably want to head the other way. The reasoning behind wrapping your face in tulle is probably not going to be logical.

13 Tattoo lover

It's no secret that many, many inmates show up with tattoos - some just enjoy the art form and want to express that on their skin, and others get specific, meaningful tattoos as part of gangs and other similar pursuits. This guy takes things to a whole other level, though. He doesn't just have one single tear drop below his eye, or even a few tattoos on his neck. He has literally covered just about every inch of surface area on his face and scalp, including the insides of his ears. We're not sure if these tattoos were done on the inside or the outside, and what the meaning behind some of them is, but based on all the skulls and teeth, it's designed to make him look intimidating - and honestly, it kind of works.

12 Elixir of youth

There are many people who, no matter how old they get, end up looking fairly young. It's just something in their genes, something in their appearance that doesn't seem to age the way most people do. This person is a good example of that. She (or he - we're not 100% certain) looks very, very young, yet you can tell by the thinning hair and bags under the eyes that that likely isn't the case. And, of course, there are the tattoos - the over-the-top eyebrow tattoos definitely make a scary statement, and the fact that the neck tattoo is creeping up onto the chin in a strange design is also cause for concern. We're not sure what the initial reasoning behind getting those tattoos was, but it definitely adds a lot to the look - and not in a good way.

11 Surf's up

This picture just goes to show what an enormous impact something as simple as a hairstyle can have on your look. In some mug shots, it's not something you even notice - you may notice whether they have short or long hair, but not much specifically about the style. With a different hairstyle, this gentleman could have easily looked like he was booked for a white collar crime - he looks like any fit young dude you might pass on the street. The hair, however, adds a whole new level of craziness to the picture - you recognize that someone who would do something like that to their hair likely has a whole lot of secrets you don't really want to find out about. We wonder what his hair would look like on the inside, where he probably doesn't have the same access to hair gel.

10 Extreme Make-up

We're not sure where this man was before he was arrested and taken for his mug shot, and honestly, we're not sure we want to know. It's not necessarily even the fact that he's wearing make-up - it's the type of make-up he's wearing. It's not as if this man was clearly a drag queen who had spent endless hours watching YouTube tutorials in order to score a look that was on point. Instead, he looks like he found a retro make-up kit, the kind many girls had when they still didn't know how to really use make-up, and just started applying any 'frosted' shades to his lids and lips. And then, he added two Cindy Crawford moles near his mouth because why not? They say less is more - and we certainly wish he had gone with a little less.

9 Ouch

This mug shot is another one of those creepy examples where you're just not quite sure what you're seeing. At first glance, the woman seems like your average woman - blonde hair, minimal make-up, an awkward sort of smile. Then, you see the pigmentation near her chin and lip. The problem here is that it's so hard to tell what exactly is going on there. It could be some type of stain. It could be some type of reaction to certain substances. It's tough to say for sure - which is what makes this photo a bit unsettling. Mug shots are often taken when people aren't exactly at their best, but hey - at least she managed to pull off a little bit of a smile? Although to be honest, all we can really see is that pigmentation, and all we can do is wonder what on earth it could be.

8 A pirate's life

It kind of makes sense that someone who was getting a mug shot taken might feel a certain affinity for pirates. After all, pirates are kind of the original thieves - it's like finding your historical spirit animal. However, there's no doubt that these tattoos are downright bizarre - and we have to question who would think they were a good idea. The strange star-lined tattoo across his forehead designed to look like a bandana is bad enough. The splotchy figure underneath his right eye is also awful. However, the absolute worst part of this photo is his terrible eye patch tattoo. Listen, if you really want to rock the pirate eye, just get an eye patch. Don't get the area around your eye tattooed. We're wincing just thinking about it! Yikes.

7 Major ouch

Chances are, you've seen this mug shot before. That's because when it first appeared on the internet, it went totally viral because people just couldn't believe what they were seeing. There's a lot that the average person may not know about the human body, and unless you're a neurosurgeon, chances are you don't know what exactly a skull and all its contents are supposed to look like. However, one thing is for sure - this just doesn't look right. In comparison with many other felons who are captured in their mug shot with strange tattoos or a crazed look in their eye, this guy looks kind of normal and serene - that is, until you see the huge indentation in his skull. I mean, honestly… how is he alive? What happened? It's just insane.

6 Body mods galore

There are a lot of options for body modifications out there, and now many go beyond simple tattoos and piercings. People are piercing more and more body parts, in increasingly intricate ways, and incorporating things like white inks into tattoos, or creating tattoos with raised tissue rather than ink. However, it seems like this guy has decided to get every body mod under the sun. He's started with fairly simple piercings, although the location of the one between his eyes is a bit unusual. And then, a few tattoos, including an ominous '666' on his forehead. And, of course, the thing that can't be ignored - those lumps across his forehead. Were they supposed to look like horns? Or just give him more of an extraterrestrial edge? We're not sure what the intent was here, but the result is slightly terrifying.

5 Hairline blues

There are a lot of bizarre haircuts in the world, but there aren't many that are this absurd. Facially, this guy looks fairly ordinary - sure, his eyebrows are slightly smaller than the average guy's, but he doesn't have any crazy facial tattoos or piercings that drastically alter his appearance. And then you look a little closer at the hair. It seems this guy has decided to grow some messy dreadlocks, and then shave just the front part of his head - starting about halfway up, in the most bizarre possible place to start. And then, just to make sure you really take note of that part in front, he seems to have gotten a tattoos border around the whole thing (or, he's just really, really good with a razor and managed to carve that fine line out of his hair). Either way, it's not a look you'll see more than once, that's for sure.

4 Horns

Just like the previous guy, this individual had decided that the average body modifications just aren't enough - he wanted to take things to the next level. We start with a fairly common, although certainly colourful, neck tattoo - something you see on many inmates. Then, you get the slightly stranger tattooed graphic eyebrows. Then, the pattern along his cheeks and head that seems to be burned in in some fashion. Then, of course, the piercings along the top of his skull and on his forehead. And finally, the two horns sticking out of his head at the same spot horns would be located in an animal. I mean, it's hard to know where to look - there's just a lot going on here. We're not sure what prompted these modifications, but they definitely give him a unique look.

3 Hair today, gone tomorrow

Mug shots where the individual has an aggressive look on their face are always a little bit unsettling, but this one has a whole slew of other issues. Namely, that hairline. This guy isn't rocking a mullet - that would be far too pedestrian. Instead, he has long hair that is somehow thinning across just the front. It looks like he started to put a wig on and forgot to add the second half. We're not sure who thought this hairstyle was a good idea, but it would be far more intimidating to just shave it all into a buzz cut - this semi-mullet, semi-comb-over disaster just isn't doing anything but upping the creepy factor in his mug shot. Seriously - you have to wonder what the thought process of behind some of these hairstyles.

2 Grey and grim

Okay, we've got to be honest - at first glance, this picture kind of makes us think of when you're using certain brands of dry shampoo and you put a little bit too much on and things start to look a little unnatural near the roots. However, the more you look at this mug shot, the stranger it gets. We're not sure why her hair is sticking straight up like this - the greying part near her scalp seems to be her natural texture - but it looks slightly like she's stuck her finger into an electrical socket prior to her mug shot being taken. And, of course, there's the fact that she refuses to look at the camera. Overall, the woman in this shot looks like she's gone through some serious stuff.

1 Pale and sinister

This guy has a pallor that is definitely on the creepy end of the spectrum. We're not sure if it's just the particularly harsh lighting in this mug shot set up, but his skin seems to be so pale it's glowing. And then, of course, there's the bloodshot, red eyes - and the bruising around them that suggest he may have been in an altercation of some sort. And the neck tattoo that isn't easy to ignore, clearly showcasing his mind-boggling beliefs to the world. You can't exactly tell a person's entire life story from their mug shot, but the tattoos give enough of a hint that you can probably guess what kind of life he led until this point - and it isn't exactly a pretty picture. You certainly wouldn't want to come face to face with this guy in a dark alley all alone.